How many have there been?

Considering during that same time frame there have been 544 tropical systems that became hurricanes, you're looking at less than 6 percent of those hitting the highest category.

How often do they appear?

On average, Category 5 hurricanes show up two or three times every decade.

However, the 2000s proved to be a very active time with eight Cat 5's — four in 2005 alone — which may explain why many could believe a hurricane hitting this magnitude isn't that rare.

When are these strong hurricanes most likely to occur?

As for the time of year when a Category 5 is statistically likely to form? Nineteen occurred (in their respective years) during the month of September. The month of August has seen eight since we've been recording these storms.

Michael Boyd passes his son Skylar over to a rescue worker as they are evacuated on an airboat from their apartment complex after it was inundated with water following Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston. Scott Olson, Getty Images

Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carries Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. David J. Phillip, AP

Sgt. Chad Watts, of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, holds Madelyn Nguyen, 2, after he rescued her and her family by boat from floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey Aug. 28, 2017. Gerald Herbert, AP

Texas Army National Guard members Sergio Esquivel, left, and Ernest Barmore carry 81-year-old Ramona Bennett after she and other residents were rescued from their Pine Forest Village neighborhood due to high water from Hurricane Harvey Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. Erich Schlegel, Getty Images